BENGALURU: In a setback to Dharwad Congress candidate and former minister Vinay R Kulkarni, the Karnataka High Court on Friday dismissed his petition, seeking permission to enter Dharwad district.
Justice K Natarajan passed the order dismissing the petitions filed by Kulkarni seeking relaxation for 50 days in connection with two cases after hearing the arguments of both sides.
Kulkarni moved the high court after a special court on April 18 refused to relax the condition it imposed that he shall not enter the district while granting him bail in the case of the murder of Dharwad Zilla Parishad member Yogesh Goudar.
When Kulkarni’s counsel submitted that his client wants relaxation of condition to take part in the Assembly elections and does not have the liberty to do so, the court orally questioned how Kulkarni’s high command gave the ticket when there is a Supreme Court order, banning him from entering Dharwad district.
Earlier, the Additional Solicitor General SV Raju submitted that the Supreme Court has confirmed the condition imposed by the special court by refusing to relax the condition a month ago, and that Kulkarni’s counsel is allegedly making false statements, stating that liberty has been reserved.
Earlier, Kulkarni’s wife had submitted the nomination papers on his behalf, while the special court was hearing his plea to relax the condition and allow him to enter the district. He had earlier submitted before the court that if the condition is not relaxed, his political career will be severely crippled.
With the high court dismissing his petition, Kulkarni will be unable to take part in any election campaigning in the constituency where he is contesting. Now, the onus of reaching out to the voters lies with his wife, Shivaleela Kulkarni, and block presidents, who will hit the campaign trail.
For Shivaleela, the responsibility is not new as she had accompanied her husband before during campaigns in previous elections. But, this is probably a first for Dharwad in recent memory, when the candidate will be missing from the significant exercise of campaigning.